Grain separator and grader.



No. 734,761. PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

B. F. SMITH.

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

- APPLIUATION FILED mm; a, 1901. no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 1.

No. 734,761. PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

' B. P. SMITH.

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

YAPPLIOATION FILED JUNE 3, 1901.

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- Graders; and I do hereby declare the followan improved machine for cleaning grain*that I ened, and more efiective construction, as herepart 5 extending forward and terminating BENJAMIN F.

At the rear end of the. machine is located UNITED STATES Patented July 28, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE;

OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONF-HALF TO GRA IN SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

SPECIFIC A'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,761, dated July 28, 1903.

Application filed J'uneB, 1901. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thurston, in the county of Fairfield and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Grain Separators and ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide is, separating chaff, cockle, cheat, and other particles from the grain--and simultaneously grading the grain. This has been proposed before.

My invention resides in a simplified, cheapinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view or a view taken on a plane indicated by the line m as, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse verti; cal sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line y 1 Fig. 1. 3 is atop plan view illustrating also a means for agitating the wind-chest.

In the views, 1 designates the main casing or frame of the machine, which can be supported on appropriate legs 1.

2 is a hopper constructed in the upper portion of the casing or frame 1. i The discharge from the hopper can be regulated by a slidable piece that enlarges or diminishes the opening therefrom.

3 is a wind-chest that is loosely supported by straps 3 within the main casing 1. This wind-chest is arranged below the hopper and has in its upper end a longitudinally inclined and adjustable scatter-board 4, onto which the material to be treated falls from the hopper. The wind-chest also has a doubly and oppositely longitudinally inclined bottom 5 5, theportion 5 extending backward and discharging into an inclined spout 6 and the in and discharging into a spout 6 at the front of the machine.

the fan-chamber 7 and a fan 8 therein.

Serial No. 62,943. (No model.)

The wind-chest can be agitated or shaken by any suitable and well-known IllGLIlS fQI example, as illustrated in Fig. 3, a bell-crank --leve'r 11, pivoted to the side of the stationary main casing and linked to the wind-chest, and arod 12, eccentrically connected With the powerdriven shaft of the fan and the bellcrank 11; but the means for shaking the wind-chest are not herein claimed as novel. Between the sides of the wind-chest and the sides of the main casing there can be provided a canvas or other flexible webbing to prevent the air-blast from passing between said parts.

A baffle-board 9 is secured in the wind chest above the lower end of the inclined portion 5 of the bottom to prevent the air-blast from striking said inclined portion and preventing the free descent of the grain.

The wind-chest is provided with a scale, as shown at 10, to aid the operator in adjusting the scatter-board to properly grade the grain.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The mixture to be treated is fed, say, from a threshing-machine into the hopper 2. It falls thence upon the agitated scatter-board, where it is evenly spread out, and then over the lower edge of the board. In its descent the blast of air from the fan passes through the mixture, impelling the lighter parts-the chaff, cheat, &c.out at the opening at the front of the machine. The heavier particles (the'grain) fall upon the double incline 5 and 5 and run in one direction or the other,

spouts 6 and 6. Grains of inferior weight will be impelled by the blast forward beyond the apex 5 of the double incline, while those of superior weight will fall inside of said apex. The grain is thus not only cleaned, but is graded into two sorts, the character of either sort being variable at will, either by regulating the speed of the fan or by adjusting the scatter-board; but it is preferable, to avoid complication of machinery, that the speed of the fan be constant. I-Ience grading is best effected by adjusting the scatter-board. If for any reason, however, the blast should not be constant, that can be regulated by opening chamber.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for separating and gradinggrain, the combination with the main stationary casing and a fan therein, of an agitable wind-chest loosely hung in said casing, means for agitating said Wind-chest, a graingrading bottom fixed in said agitable Windchest consisting of two longitudinallyinclined surfaces meeting in an apex, and an adjustable longitudinally -inclined scatterboard in said wind-chest adapted to receive the grain from the hopper, scatter the same and discharge itabove said apex.

2. In a machine for separating and grading grain, the combination with the main stationary casing and a fan therein, of an agitable wind-chest loosely hung in said casing,

discharge it above said apex and onto said grading-bottom.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE M. FINcKEL, GEORGE W. ALFORD. 

